Electric car battery plant for Blyth power station site

The "gigaplant" will be on the site of the former Blyth Power Station

A town in Northumberland is set to be the site of the UK's first "gigaplant" manufacturing electric car batteries.

Britishvolt said the plant in Blyth would create up to 3,000 jobs, with a further 5,000 expected in the wider supply chain.

Construction is due to start next summer, with production of the lithium-ion batteries by the end of 2023.

The firm said the £2.6bn scheme was the largest industrial investment in the North East since the arrival of Nissan.

Nissan's car plant in Sunderland opened in the mid-1980s and employs about 7,000 people. But the Japanese firm has warned it may not be sustainable in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

The plant will produce more than 300,000 lithium-ion battery packs for the UK automotive industry

The 95-hectare site in Blyth would use renewable energy, possibly hydro-electric power generated in Norway and transmitted via a link under the North Sea, Britishvolt said.

The company's CEO, Orral Nadjari said: "Blyth meets all of our exacting requirements and could be tailor made.

"It is on the doorstep of major transport links, easily accessible renewable energy and the opportunity for a co-located supply chain, meets our target to make our gigaplant the world's cleanest and greenest battery facility.

"It is crucial for the UK automotive industry and for the entire economy that we are able to power the future - the sooner we start, the better."

Councillor Richard Wearmouth, chair of Advance Northumberland, said: "The investment would result in a truly transformational change in the economy of Northumberland, providing job opportunities and the prospect of a better life for countless residents."